Phi Gamma Nu
Phi Gamma Nu (ΦΓΝ) is one of the largest co-ed professional business fraternities in the United States, with the intent to prepare its members for professional endeavors in a business workplace. The organization cultivates professional behavior in its members through a variety of activities and committees. The organization promotes professional excellence through activities such as resume critiques, mock interviews, and etiquette dinners.[1] Phi Gamma Nu requires members to spend time on philanthropic endeavors. Along with these activities, the organization also stresses the importance of physical interaction and camaraderie of its members. It is this last organizational feature that helps differentiate Phi Gamma Nu from the other national business fraternities. Currently, Phi Gamma Nu has 18 active collegiate chapters nationwide.
Phi Gamma Nu | |
---|---|
ΦΓΝ | |
Founded | February 17, 1924 Northwestern University, Chicago, IL |
Type | Professional |
Emphasis | Business |
Colors | Cardinal and Gold |
Flower | Red Rose |
Chapters | 18 active |
Headquarters | 11A Sheraton Drive Ithaca, NY 14850 USA |
Website | Phi Gamma Nu homepage |
History
Phi Gamma Nu was founded on February 17, 1924 at the Chicago campus of Northwestern University. The original founder members were Sylvia Pekar Arnold, Elizabeth Conroy Fleming, Marge McInerney Hawes, Mary Chard Nalbach, Helen Vogel Purcell, and Celeste Weyl.[2]
Phi Gamma Nu was founded as a sorority for women pursuing studies in business. The sorority spent the next fifty years operating much the same way, but the dynamics of the organization changed to a co-ed format in 1974 due to the Title IX act. While Phi Gamma Nu began accepting male members in 1974, it was not until 1981 that the National Chapter Congress changed the name of Phi Gamma Nu Sorority to Phi Gamma Nu Fraternity to comply with Title IX.[3]
Some famous members from this fraternity include Dr. Lillian C. Budd, Dr. Virgil Loughbred, Robert E.J. Snyder, Joe Higgens, Nancy Barker, Honorable Barbara J. Hackett, Linda Batway, and Kate Rand Loyd.
Three Pillars
Three pillars form the organizational goals of Phi Gamma Nu. Each organization event is directed towards a pillar. Overall, four aims and purposes reflect the intent of the Phi Gamma Nu pillars.
1. Professional
"To foster the study of business in colleges and universities."[4]
"To promote professional competency and achievement in the field of business."[4]
Professionalism is a standard of behavioral guidelines for a business atmosphere. This standard includes concrete actions and speech etiquette, but it also encompasses a mindset guiding ones mannerisms. Phi Gamma Nu builds active professionalism through the following activities resume critiques, etiquette dinners, business presentations, cover letter workshops, company information sessions, mock interviews, and recruiter question and answer sessions [5]
2. Social
"To uphold the interests of our Alma Mater throughout the encouragement of high scholarship, participation in school activities, and the association of students for their mutual advancement."[4]
To ensure the stability and well-being of the chapter, social events are an important aspect of Phi Gamma Nu. A variety of different activities help build strong brotherhood. Some activities include movie nights, game nights, study hours, scavenger hunts, apple picking, and bags tournaments.[6]
3. Philanthropy
"To further a high standard of business ethics and culture in civic and professional enterprise."[4]
Beyond social and professional pursuits, Phi Gamma Nu encourages its members to actively participate in philanthropy. Active community service helps build a sense of communal ethics and culture. Activities to build this pillar include participating in Adopt-a-Highway, animal shelters, soup kitchens, women's shelters, and food pantries.[6]
Membership
Selection
The recruitment period for Phi Gamma Nu occurs once each semester. During membership selection, rushes participate in a series of interviews with Phi Gamma Nu actives and are evaluated on their professionalism, leadership skills, potential and commitment to the organization. Phi Gamma Nu actives must vote on whether a rush satisfies these requirements before a rush initiates. To be eligible to join Phi Gamma Nu, a candidate must meet the following requirements:
- Regularly enrolled in an accredited university, college, or its equivalent
- A minimum GPA of 2.5 out of a possible 4.0
- You must not be a member of any other business fraternity in direct competition with this fraternity
Participation
Once initiated into Phi Gamma Nu, members must still maintain several responsibilities. Varying from chapter to chapter, a point system requirement enforces an active participation and attendance at Phi Gamma Nu events. Furthermore, the active must attend the minimum required events established in the fraternity bylaws of Phi Gamma Nu. Financial obligations must also be met. If any of these criteria are not fulfilled, the active must appear before the executive board and face expulsion from the fraternity. On the founding date each year, Founder's Day is observed. Celebration and attendance of Founder's Day ritual is required for all chapters. At ritual, the National President reads the annual message to the chapters, and all present members renew the oath of Phi Gamma Nu (Phi Gamma Nu 2006, 17).
Notable Chapter and Member Accomplishments
Delta Theta Chapter
- The Pennsylvania State University's Dance Marathon (THON) is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world.[7] Since 1989, the Delta Theta chapter of Phi Gamma Nu has been a top independent (non-paired) fundraising organization of the event. During its first year of participation in 1989, Phi Gamma Nu won the independent division and won 6th place overall with a total of $2,156 to benefit children with pediatric cancer and pediatric cancer research. In 2011, PGN raised $58,797.80 winning 3rd place among all General Organizations, outearning the next closest professional business fraternity by over $10,000. In 2012, PGN raised $73,988.42 winning 1st among all business fraternities, and 2nd place among all General Organizations.[8]
Beta Pi Chapter
- On November 18, 2008, the Beta Pi chapter of Phi Gamma Nu ran the first annual "Mr. Business" competition at the University of Illinois. This event was a College of Business-wide program, which featured two male members of Business Council and the four business fraternities on campus: Alpha Kappa Psi, Delta Sigma Pi, Phi Gamma Nu and Phi Chi Theta. Proceeds of the event were donated to Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Champaign County, an organization that mentors children in the community ages 6 through 18.
- Compete for a Cure is an event that was created by members of the Beta Pi Chapter of Phi Gamma Nu in 2010. The event is held in honor of the mother of a PGN that lost her battle to lung cancer in 2010. Since then, the Beta Pi Chapter has been hosting an annual 3 on 3 basketball tournament, as well as a coed sand volleyball tournament, as well as a variety of free food from local vendors, as well as free shirts and live entertainment. Over the last six years, Compete for a Cure has raised over $100,000 for the Pam Stern Legacy of Hope Foundation, where the money has been used to fund research work in developing a cure for lung cancer, among other things. The intention of Compete for a Cure is to spread the good that it can do as far as it can. In the past, Compete for a Cure has benefited a variety of organizations. In 2015, Compete for a Cure raised $20,500, of which 25% went to the American Lung Association, where the money was used to fund specific researchers and the work that they were doing to combat lung cancer, as well as to continue to support a lung cancer helpline that people could call for advice and information. The other 75% went to Keshet, a Jewish special education program where Pam Stern was a teacher. In 2016, Compete for a Cure will also benefit the Imerman Angels and the Tom Jones Challenger League. Imerman Angels is an organization that was built on the idea that no one should have to fight cancer alone. For free, they pair members with cancer fighters, as well as with caregivers to people with cancer. They offer their services to absolutely anyone, at any stage of the life, with any kind of cancer at any stage, anywhere in the world. The goal of Imerman Angels is to give people that are dealing with cancer in one way or another someone to talk to, to ask personal questions and garner support from someone that has been there before.
Notes
- http://www.phigammanu.com
- Phi Gamma Nu | Delta Lambda Chapter - University of Pennsylvania Archived 2007-10-23 at the Wayback Machine
- Phi Gamma Nu Historical Timeline Archived 2014-07-14 at the Wayback Machine
- Phi Gamma Nu-Mission Archived 2014-02-27 at the Wayback Machine
- http://www.business.uiuc.edu/pgn/
- Redirect
- Penn State Dance Marathon - Helping to Conquer Childhood Cancer Archived 2004-12-12 at the Wayback Machine
- http://live.psu.edu/story/57894
References
- University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign- "Beta Pi" retrieved October 28, 2006
- Ball State- "Miller College of Business" retrieved October 28, 2006
- University of Pennsylvania- "Delta Lambda" retrieved October 28, 2006
- Troy State- "Beta Iota" retrieved October 28, 2006
- "Ohio University | Alpha Psi" retrieved October 28, 2006
- "What is THON?" retrieved February 2, 2007
- "Student Business Groups Top Fund-Raisers At THON" retrieved February 2, 2007